Chapter 7 - Section 3
Pages 170-174
Sophie Wilks & Jo Tebay


Students will understand what archaeologists have learned about the Indus Valley civilization, the impact the Aryans had on India, and how the Aryan society was organized.



Homework Assignment: Read the attached article and answer the following questions.


Questions:
1. What was the purpose of the Vedas?
2. What did the Native Indians' religion consist of before the Vedas?
3. Why did Indra slay the demon-serpent?
4. Why do worshipers of Agni cremate the dead?
5. What was the significance of the Brahmanas?

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Visual Questions
1. Why do you think that the Indus Valley Civilization developed in the place it did?
2. What geographic features helped further the development of the civilization? What features hindered the development?
3. Do you think conflicts began due to the positioning of the civilization?





Sophie's Link
Sophie's Link Indus Jewlery
The main idea expressed in this article is that jewelry excavated from the area in which the Indus Valley Civilization was located not only tells what the people of the time adorned themselves with but also gives archaeologists an idea of how developed the civilization was. The author supports this claim with archaeological evidence, depicting actual jewelry pieces in the article. The author's purpose is to explain to readers the level of development the people of the Indus Valley Civilization reached in a time much less technologically advanced. The ideas presented by this author are supported by the majority of research in the field because most experts agree that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization were incredibly developed. The article provides specific details about the way Indus Valley jewelry was created, the skills needed in order to obtain these intricate pieces, and the impact the craftsmanship has had on today's society. While suggested readings at the end of the article appear interesting, they do not pertain to this particular topic, making them useless in the research of the Indus Valley Civilization. This article provides fascinating and useful information to aid in the basic understanding of the Indus Valley Civilization as well as enrich the reader's knowledge of the civilization with uncommon information. The article questions the popular belief that ancient civilizations encouraged primitive livelihoods which leads the reader to understand that members of the Indus Valley Civilization led advanced and lavish lives. This website is useful only to those wishing to enrich their knowledge of the culture of the Indus Valley Civilization, and is not as helpful in explaining basic concepts of the early civilization.

Jo's Link:
Jo's Link Vedic Age

This particular website offers a detailed summary of multiple ancient civilizations, one of which concerns the Vedic Age. This article provides specific, detailed information on Aryan culture, extending to their religion, caste system, trade, and agricultural achievements. The author's purpose is clearly to inform on the basics of this ancient nation. The theories presented by this article appear to be largely supported by the majority of the research in this field, as they are primarily informational paragraphs on different aspects of Aryan civilization. While it was an interesting article, it is mainly descriptive and lacks any real, focused analysis of its topic. Although written for a knowledgeable audience, the writing style is informal and the language is easy to understand, with no unnecessary jargon; the subject is depicted in a very basic, informational format. The author also provides a helpful list of related articles at the end of the page. This article was very useful in that it gives a balanced, more in depth perspective of Aryan culture for students who have already read the textbook. It offers extensive information on the curriculum and was incredibly serviceable in further discovering the complexities of the Aryan civilization.

Discovery Education: Culture and Math: The Indus Valley (5:00-10:02)
This Discovery Education video focuses on the various technological and cultural advancements made by the early Indus Valley Civilization. These include mathematical strides, the development of Hinduism and Buddhism, and the way of city life. Evidence is provided in the archaeological pieces shown, including ancient seals, art materials, and math tools. The makers of this video wanted their viewers to understand the effect the Indus Valley Civilization has had on modern religion and mathematics. The ideas outlined in this video are clearly facts as archaeological evidence is provided throughout. The video gives an overview of the Indus Valley culture, but gives specific details regarding religious and mathematical advancements. Created for an audience with the desire to learn about the Indus Valley Civilization, the language is comprehensible while avoiding circuitous explaining methods. This video provides basic information about the mathematical and cultural development of the Indus Valley Civilization, therefore increasing its reader's understanding of the topic. The video challenges the preconceived notion that early civilizations are completely primitive with little advanced knowledge or technology. The information presented in this video is extremely useful in the search to better understand the culture of the Indus Valley Civilization.